MESS OVER Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

mess over

verb

Definition of mess over

slang

as in to abuse

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon her no-good boyfriend has been messing her over for years

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for mess over

Verb

The City Council instructed the city attorney to regulate phenibut, a drug that’s available at gas stations and being abused as a nervous system depressant.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over concerns regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and reports of police abusing the tool.

— Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

Across the street, other workers are clearing the rubble from the old Highmark Stadium as it is taken apart piece by piece.

— Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Among the arrays that are set to be taken apart is the Coastal Endurance Array, which lies off the coasts of Oregon and Washington State.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 2 June 2026

Definition of take apart

Verb

Trump has been bullying Canada since the start of his second term.

— Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
All of us artists could stand to be more like Mark, willing to speak out for oppressed people everywhere, even when powerful people try to bully us into silence.

— Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of bully

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

messmates

mess over

mess (up)

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“Mess over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mess%20over. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of mess over

verb

Example Sentences

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